


A Different Path: The Testimony of Trixie Glimmer Smith

by VancetheSnekDad



Series: A Different Path: The Testimony of Trixie Glimmer Smith [1]
Category: Parsnip - Fandom, The Testimony of Trixie Glimmer Smith
Genre: Bun & Birb, Carcosa (The King in Yellow), Digital Poppy, Fictional Play: The King in Yellow, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, Multi Chapter, Original Character - Freeform, Parental Relationships, Platonic Relationships, The Testimony of Trixie Glitter Smith, Trans Female Character, non binary character, parsnip
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:46:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24689353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VancetheSnekDad/pseuds/VancetheSnekDad
Summary: Trixie needs to get into that strange, abandoned house on Daffodil Lane, but things are never as easy as they seem...
Series: A Different Path: The Testimony of Trixie Glimmer Smith [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1785001
Comments: 3
Kudos: 1





	A Different Path: The Testimony of Trixie Glimmer Smith

**Author's Note:**

> I have had such a great time playing through both Parsnip and The Testimony of Trixie Glimmer Smith with my friends; I just HAD to write something inspired by them. I thought it would just be a one off, but WHOOPS, guess who already has a whole multi chapter story planned out? I would love to thank both Bun & Birb and Digital Poppy for giving me so much inspiration, and I'm super excited to be the first fanfiction for this fandom on AO3!

The trek back to Daffodil Lane was just as exhausting as before, but at least I had gotten a crowbar. It stuck out of my tiny backpack like a beacon that said ‘Hey! This girl is planning on doing something super shady with this dangerous as fuck looking weapon!’

So yeah, the walk out of town was an anxiety filled nightmare. But I managed, and no one called the police or anything, so it was all good.

Once I was away from suspicious glances, the countryside was actually pretty nice. Maybe I had been a bit harsh before, it wasn’t exactly exhausting. I think that comment just stemmed from the fact that once I arrived, I knew I would still need to take another two hour trek just to get back to my dorm.

Anyway, this story isn’t about any of that shit. It’s about what happened when I finally got my chance to break into an abandoned house to find some stupid script that probably wasn’t even there.

“Hey, Trix!”

I couldn’t have taken more than a few steps onto the lane when a small rabbit stood in my way with a smile that seemed way too friendly. “Uh...hey. I’m sorry; I’m busy right now.”

“Do you need help, best friend?”

I kept my eyes forward, and my arms at my sides as I made a beeline down the path.

“Crowbars are dangerous!”

I gulped, feeling a chill down my spine when I realized that this boy had no intentions of leaving me alone. But I was probably just overreacting, right?

Thinking that it might calm my nerves, I humored him and made conversation. “They can be; you’re right.”

“My Deerest said that I should never play with dangerous things. I found a knife once, but even that was a huge no no. They said I should’ve listened to Rosie; that she knows what’s best. But they’re super nice, they forgave me even though I accidentally helped out that mean sheep.”

I was lost for words, trying desperately to think of something to say after he had finished rambling. “That’s...uh...what do you mean by My Deerest?”

“They’re not your Deerest, silly!” He laughed, unable to stop like I had just told some amazing joke. “They’re really nice; they tell me what I should and shouldn’t do!”

“Yes, you already told me that,” I muttered in frustration, not really feeling like the conversation had gone anywhere substantial. “Do they live on this street?”

“No. Well, kinda…behind it. I can show you!”

“That’s fine.” The last thing I needed was to be led off into the countryside by someone that had a history with knives.

“I don’t think they’d like you having that crowbar.”

I stopped in my tracks. Sure, the words still had their childlike exterior, but something about them felt more serious, like a stern warning. “W-well; it’s none of their business what I-”

I spun around, squinting grumpily at the contrasting wide eyed glee on the rabbit’s face. “Give that back.”

When all I got was a blank look in response, I stomped closer. “I don’t have time for this! I need to get this fucking book so I can-”

Just as I lunged at him to grab it, my eyes went wide and I staggered backwards; the only thing that kept me from falling to my knees was using the side of the abandoned house as a support. “Where did you…”

The weapon was gone. And it wasn’t like he had thrown it, or done some magician styled sleight of hand trick. It was just there, and then… “What are you?”

“I’m Parsnip! Parsnip Bunner! Come on, best friend; I’m sure My Deerest will know a much safer way to get into that creepy house!”

“I don’t...I’m leaving.”

“Already? But it’s getting late; it’s dangerous to walk alone in the dark.”

Although fear made my legs feel like jelly, I forced them to move, focusing on each step that would get me far, far away from Daffodil Lane.

Screw college.  
Screw that bitch that made me chase after such an impossible favor.  
Screw everything.

“You silly! You’re not allowed to walk that way!”

I was so filled with rage that I hadn’t even realized that I had been walking in place, my insistence to move off of the path just making me look more and more ridiculous.

“I can march in place too! Wee, this is fun! Let’s march to My Deerest; they live this way!”

I wasn’t sure if it was the fact that I was once again dehydrated or that terror had fully overtaken me, but the last thing I remembered was seeing some sheep grazing in the nearby field before everything went black.

When I awoke, two things were clear. My head was pounding up a storm, and I was definitely laying somewhere more comfortable than the ground.

“What a fucked up dream…” I muttered as I rubbed over my face, my heavy eyelids still closed.

Even better, I didn’t smell any spoiled milk, which meant the whole cereal incident had to have been part of the dream too. But, interestingly enough, other, much better smells wafted around my nose, making me sniff the air happily in my half asleep state. “Mm...cake…”

“Rixie! You’re finally awake! I thought you were dead!”

Dread washed over me as I finally opened my eyes, my mouth hanging open as I tried to process the fact that I was still living in a nightmare.

“Give your new friend some space, My Rabbit. And don’t be saying such things.”

I had never heard a voice so deep, yet so calming, so serious, yet so kind. What was even more surprising was that the creature that walked into the room looked much too small to have such a strong voice. They were tall, yes, but rail thin with a delicate face and soft, cheshunt eyes. Their most defining feature was their large antlers, which almost looked like trees from some fantasy novel with how moss grew in patches along them, some even hanging off in long, wispy bits.

“You look troubled,” They said as they stopped in front of the coffee table to stare down at me. “My Rabbit said that you passed out while you two were playing; I do hope you’re alright.”

I sat up, cautiously backing up against the cushion of the couch. “I’ll do anything; please don’t hurt me.”

“Hurt you?” They frowned, tilting their gaze to Parsnip. “I do hope you didn’t threaten this girl in any way.”

“She’s my best friend! I’d never do that!”

They looked unconvinced, but still gave the Rabbit beside them a reassuring pat on the head as they turned back. “Well, if My Rabbit did, both him and I are terribly sorry. I’m just grateful to see a new face; he hasn’t brought any friends around in quite a while. Speaking of that, what shall I call you?”

I blinked in confusion at the strange wording, but once again latched onto conversation rather than focusing on my panic. “Trixie. Trixie Glitter Smith.”

“What a beautiful name. You shall call me Deerest.”

I stared at their outstretched hand, taking a deep breath before I stuck my own out to meet it.

“Now, please eat. You must be famished.”

My eyes fell to the food in front of me. Along with a bowl of vegetable soup and a cheese sandwich sat a single, thin slice of cake, but what was most peculiar was the glass dome that had been placed over it, which was secured by a lock that bolted to the table.

Deerest bent down, pulling a large ring of keys out of their pocket for only a moment before everything was unlocked and the dome could be lifted. “I must make precautions to make sure my food stays as fresh as possible; I do hope you understand.”

They sighed, pulling up a chair as they kept their eyes down on the food. “I sense that my words might have given you some hesitation. I’ll explain...we have a rule around here that My Rabbit isn’t to add ingredients to the food that I prepare, but there have been times when he has become forgetful-”

“I just want to help! I want all of my friends to have yummy treats!”

“Mind I remind you what happened last time-”

“But I fixed it!”

“Rabbit.”

The room fell into an awkward silence, and all the while Deerest kept their eyes expectantly on the plate, only glancing up at me briefly to signify that I should pick it up.

“Actually…I’m not that hungry.”

“Are you positive? Walking all of the way from town must have worked up quite the appetite.”

What they said was true, and yet I had completely lost any appetite I might’ve had after everything that happened. “Can I please go?”

Deerest appeared disappointed, but ultimately nodded as they stood up and carried the food back into the kitchen. “May I ask you one thing before you do?”

The request seemed harmless enough, so I nodded. And when I realized that they had turned away and couldn’t see me, I quickly gave an actual response. “Sure.”

“What brought you to our quaint lane?”

“Oh. I guess I was looking for a book? A script to be more precise.” I got up, making a wide berth around Parsnip as he continued to stare at me with a wide eyed smile. “A friend of mine said it might be on this street somewhere.”

They got to work covering up the meal in a locked container similar to the one that sat on the table; the only difference was that it was more compact and used a separate key. “I have many books in my library; I might be able to help if you give me the name.”

“Really?” My voice squeaked, and I covered my mouth in embarrassment. “Sorry, I’ve just been trying to find it all day; it’d be a great help. It’s called The King in Yellow.”

Deerest froze up; even though I was just staring at their back I knew that their demeanor had completely changed. “What business does your friend have with such a story?”

“Uh...she found one of the pages blowing around our campus and wanted the rest?” My uncertainty about his sudden shift made me backup a few steps, though I didn’t actually have any idea where an escape route would be. “It’s not a big deal; I’ll look somewhere else.”

“She didn’t read it, did she?” He asked, turning on a heel with a face full of both great concern and worry. “Do you happen to know the page? The number?”

“No, I can-”

“Yes. Please call her and check. If it incentives you at all; I do own it. The only known copy, so I highly doubt you’d come across it anywhere else.”

I pulled out my phone, only noticing how shaky my hands were when it took three tries to push all of the buttons right.

And, on the second ring, an annoyed grumble of a voice greeted me. “What do you want?”

“Hey, Nikita.” Her bitchy attitude actually relaxed me a little; at least something was normal in my fucked up situation. “Weird question, I know, but-”

“Spit it out.”

“What page of that book did you find?”

“How the fuck should I know?” I could hear the sounds of a desk drawer loudly being forced open and searched through. “You better not be messing with me.”

“I’m not! I found the owner; they said they’d lend it to me!”

“Fine. It’s forty-one. Happy?”

“Thank you.” I glanced at Deerest, who was already walking towards the living room with their hands folded behind his back, and pushed the end button on a call that Nikita had already left. “It’s forty-one.”

“I heard.” Though, they seemed much more interested in talking to Parsnip. “My Rabbit; I want you to go down to the lane and find ingredients for a cake. Remember the list?”

“Yeah! Yeah, I know!” He bounced on the spot, hardly able to get out his words through his excitement. “Sugar, honey, chocolates, milk...oh, and flour!”

“Good.” They patted his head, offering a smile of genuine endearment. “And remember our rules?”

“Nothing dangerous.”

“Which includes…?”

“No weapons, none of Rose’s juice, and I gotta keep the cake to myself!”

“Yes, perfect. Please actually listen to my rules this time, My Rabbit. I know how much you love making cake; I would hate to have to stop you.”

In the time it had taken them to have a conversation, I had spotted the front door, which was ajar in a light breeze. Deerest didn’t, or at least, didn’t seem to want to trap me. It felt like quite the opposite. And, while all my instincts screamed at me to take the chance, I told myself that I just needed to stay a few minutes longer, that I just needed to grab The King in Yellow so I could high tail it out of there and never come back.

I tensed up as Parsnip marched past me, and once he was out of view I took a long sigh of relief. “So, the book?”

“Yes, follow me.”

At the end of a long hallway were a set of double doors that swung open to reveal quite an impressive room; the walls were lined with bookshelves that stretched up to raised ceilings, and an unlit fireplace stood proudly on the far wall next to some comfy, expensive looking chairs.

“I need to check if that page is indeed missing.” Deerest explained as they grabbed velvet gloves and two strips of cloth out of their pocket. “We are not to read the pages; it is far too dangerous. I have learned from experience that as long as one doesn’t engage the text directly either through touch or sight; they are...well, at least relatively safe.”

“Is that what the gloves are for?”

“And the blindfolds, yes. You may step out of the room if you wish, but you seemed curious, so I wanted to give you the choice.”

“Usually when a stranger blindfolds you, it’s because they want to kidnap you...or worse.”

“Oh, heavens no.” They pulled back the blindfold that they had been holding out, looking positively ashamed at the mere thought. “If I gave off even an inkling of that impression, I deeply apologize. I am simply wanting to keep this horrid book from prying eyes. It can be devastating in the wrong hands, even a page can drive someone mad.”

“You mean…”

“Please try not to worry. If my sources are correct, forty-one is contained in act one. Each page has the potential to cause negative symptoms, but as long as no more are introduced, your friend should be fine.”

“So you’re not giving me the book?”

They stared at me with perplexion, like I had already gone mad for asking such a question. “Trixie, I don’t think you understand what we’re dealing with here. Naivety is dangerous.”

It was the first time they had actually used my name; that mixed with the serious grumble of their voice caught me off guard for a few moments. “Let me guess. I won’t believe you if you tell me what it’s capable of.”

“Most likely. Let’s just say that I’m appreciative that the rumor got around about those squirrels. The last thing I need is a bunch of officers wandering my street finding things that no one is meant to see.”

“The...wait. You know what happened to them?”

The hollow look in their eyes portrayed the answer quite clearly, though they did add a bit more. “Their killer was a sheep that had gotten ahold of this book; I had to go retrieve it before any more harm could be done.”

I was dumbfounded by the words, not sure if I should be angry about them willingly keeping the truth clouded, or even more unnerved by the book’s mysterious potential. “What about…”

“The sheep? Don’t you worry; their justice was served. It’s like what you kids say, ‘karma’s a bitch’.”

It was strange to hear such a phrase delivered so flatly; it felt like a professor at my school reading an excerpt from ‘How to Relate to the Youths of Today’, and it took everything in me not to laugh at the absurdity of that mental image.

Having not much left to say, I followed Deerest deeper into the library until they stopped at a secluded spot in the far corner and knelt down to unlatch a worn, old chest.

“I would please ask you to not utter the name of this book again.” They muttered as they slipped on the gloves and picked up a lightweight, portable safe, and by its shape I knew exactly what was inside. “The less attention it feels like it is receiving, the better.”

“How do you know all of this?”

They were so quiet when they lifted up the box that I started to become concerned that they weren’t breathing. It made me think back to the way he had stared so intently at that food, like in that moment it was the only thing in the world.

It was only when they placed the safe down on a table covered in a thick, golden cloth that he finally answered my question. “I haven’t left this lane in many years; I’ve had much time to study all there is to know about this book. About many other things. I only hope that my sources are correct; I wouldn’t dare check for myself. Now, could you please put on your blindfold?”

“I…” The book was now sitting out on the table, even it’s presence made my stomach twist into knots.

That might’ve also been because I was hungry...probably a mix of the two.

“O-okay.”

“Come stand close to me before you do. I would hate for you to get disorientated.”

It was only then that I realized that I was still standing right next to the chest, and darted the few dozen feet to close the gap.

“I really don’t mind if you-”

“No, no; I’m fine.” My words stumbled out awkwardly, not exactly making me sound very convincing as I tied on my blindfold. “Either way I’m fucked, so let’s just get this over with.”

“May I ask why your friend wanted this book so badly? The first act shouldn’t have the potential to cause as much harm as you’re alluding to.”

“Oh, I don’t even think it has to do with that. She’s just a bitch. A bitch who said she’d refuse to help me with my school work if I didn’t get her this stupid play.”

I felt a chill run down my spine as I heard pages flutter open, and Deerest’s fingers started running over countless lines of text. “So?”

“One moment; I need to find it.”  
It was maddening to listen to nothing but the rhythmic sound of rubbed paper, followed by each turn of a page.

I was almost about to speak up so that there was at least something else to focus on, but instead I felt my throat tighten when I tried, and images flashed rapidly through my brain.

So many eyes.  
So many yellow eyes.  
King in Yellow.  
King in Yellow.  
KING IN YELLOW.

I must’ve been out of it for too long, because Deerest was still at work skimming through the pages, feeling up and down their gutters.

They had gotten so focused that they didn’t notice that I now had my own blindfold clutched in my hands, and how flustered I got to get it back on when I realized what I had been staring at for who knows how long.

I couldn’t even remember what I had read. It felt like gibberish filling up my brain with countless symbols of eyes and bright pillars of light.

And, in an instant, I was jolted from my thoughts when the book was slammed shut and stored away with much less care than before.

“Fuck…alright, it does seem like that page is missing. Torn out as it were. You may remove your blindfold.”

When I did, they were already stashing away the now locked box in their knapsack, along with a few other books, a small notebook, and the golden, cloth items they had used to handle The King in Yellow.

They noticed my curious glance, offering an answer to a question that I hadn’t even asked. “I need to accompany you back into town.”

“Nikita is probably going to be asleep by the time we get back.”

“That is alright; I can wait until morning. I’m sure I could get a room somewhere.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but they were already making a beeline for the hall, and all I could do was jog pathetically to catch up. “Wait, what about me?”

“Hm? Your problem with that girl? I am sorry for not responding much to that before; I tend to get lost in activities quite easily...please continue.”

As I followed, I watched as they stopped at certain rooms, which each had their own individual lock, with the only ones staying swung open being the library and what I could only assume was Parsnip’s bedroom. “I guess she’s not totally a bitch; she did do my coursework last semester. I’ve just had a hard time staying on top of it, and now she dropped this on me.”

“Sounds like a bitch to me.”

I snorted a laugh. “We’ve been friends for awhile; you know how it is.”

Now at the front door, they paused, glancing back at me with a soft smile. “What is your major?”

“Oh uh...I mostly just study local history.”

“Fascinating. I know plenty about our county; I’m sure we’ll have much to talk about. Shall we be off?”


End file.
